Panel siding



H. M. KEARNS PANEL SIDING Feb. 21, 1956 Filed March 25, 1952 m m m H4194 AN /4. KEAE VS,

United States Patent PANEL SIDHJG Harlan M. Kearns, Lexington, Ky. Application March 25, 1952, Serial No. 278,360 1 Claim. (Cl. 20-5) This invention relates to building Siding, and more particularly, has reference to siding adapted for application to the sheathing of a building structure or other wall surface, so as to provide an attractive, weatherproof exterior covering for said building.

conventionally, shingles are provided as one type of building siding, and generally have flat back surfaces, the bottom edge portions of which partially lap the top edge portions of like shingles disposed immediately therebelow, the top edge portions of the several shingles being positioned flat against the wall surface of the building structure.

The main object of the present invention is to improve on the conventional construction, through the provision of a siding so designed as to provide a continuous dead air space between the siding and the wall surface to which it is applied, thus to provide an insulating feature not obtainable when conventional shingles are used.

Another important object is to provide siding as described wherein added strength and durability will be obtained, through the provision of a plurality of ribs formed upon the back surface of each piece of siding, said ribs reinforcing the siding both longitudinally and transversely thereof, and additionally reinforcing one another, the ribs being adapted to constitute means through which fastening elements may be extended, thus to permit the extension of said elements through thick portions of the siding, rather than through the thin body thereof.

Another important object is to provide, in siding of the character referred to, a formation wherein the siding will have a continuous bottom rib extending longitudinally thereof, said bottom rib sealably engaging the outer surface of a like siding disposed immediately therebelow.

Yet another important object is to provide, in siding of the type stated, an end construction wherein the opposite ends of each piece of siding will be of ship-lap formation, to provide a tight joint with the adjacent ends of siding pieces disposed on either side thereof.

A still further important object is to provide a siding construction as stated which will berelatively inexpensive, considering the benefits to be obtained thereby, and which will be applicable to a building structure with considerable ease and facility, thus to permit the siding to be applied by a relatively unskilled person.

A further object is to provide, in siding of the character described, interlocking means whereby one'piece of siding may be supported upon and engaged with like pieces disposed immediately above and below the same.

Additional objects are to provide siding which will be so designed as to achieve a shadow line effect whereby there will be a faithful simulation of clapboard, thus toimprove the appearance of the building structure; which will permit adjustment of the siding to irregularities in the wall surface to which it is applied; and which-will be designed to permit swift alignment, of each piece with each piece of the course immediately below.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure l is a front perspective view of a siding formed accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of adjacent pieces of siding and of a building wall to which the siding has been applied; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through said wall and through the siding applied thereto, on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the siding formed in accordance with the present invention includes a generally flat, elongated body 10 of rectangular outer configuration. The body 10 can be formed of any suitable material, and except as necessarily limited by the scope of the appended claim, I do not desire to be restricted to the use of any particular material in construction of the siding.

The body 10, as best shown in Figure 4, has a thin top edge, said body being of constant thickness from said top edge to the bottom edge thereof.

Formed integrally upon the body 10, and extending continuously along the bottom edge of said body, is an in'turned, longitudinal rib 12, said rib being hereinafter termed the bottom rib of the siding.

Also formed integrally with the body 10, on the inner or back surface of said body, is a series of parallel transverse ribs designated generally by the reference numeral 14. The ribs 14 extend continuously, in each instance, from the top to the bottom edge of the body, and intersect with and are integrally joined to the bottom rib 12, at locations spaced longitudinally of said bottom rib.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each piece of siding is adapted for ship-lapped engagement, at its opposite ends, with the adjacent ends of like pieces of siding disposed at either side thereof in the same course. To provide for the desired joint, the transverse rib 14 at one end of the series of said transverse ribs is spaced slightly beyond the adjacent end edge of the body 10 (see Figure 1) to provide a transverse recess 16 extending from the top to the bottom edge of the body, at said end thereof. That rib 14 disposed at the other end of the series of transverse ribs is spaced inwardly from the end edge of the body 10 adjacent thereto, to provide a rearwardly faced recess 18 extending from the top to the bottom edges of the body. It will thus be apparent that each panel will be adapted for ship-lapped engagement with the ends of the panels on either side thereof, when a course is being putup, thus to provide tight, almost invisible joints that will offer a high degree of sistance to the passage of water or air between the ting ends of adjacent panels.

The particular formation of each transverse rib i4 is of importance, and as will be noted, each rib is of constant width from the top to the bottom ends thereof, each rib having a flat back surface. 20 extending slightly out of parallelism withthe plane of the body 10 (Figure 4).

Additionally, each rib is. provided with an upper end surface 22 flush with the top edge of the body 10, said upper end surface being of an appreciable thickness.

In considering. the thickness of the ribs at the upper ends thereof, in a preferred'embodiment of the invention, said ribs might have a thickness of approximately onefourth inch at this location, although obviously, the particular dimensions could be varied as desired by the manufacturer. It is believed mainly important to note that the term appreciable thickness as applied to the upper ends of the ribs 16, is intendedprimarily to-distinguish the rib construction from an arrangement wherein said ribs would taper to a sharp edge at their upper ends.

Each rib 14 is further provided with side surfaces 24, said side surfaces increasing progressively in width from the top to the bottom ends of the rib, as best shown in Figure 4. Thus, the ribs 14 increase progressively in thickness from their upper ends to their lower ends, and in cooperation with the bottom rib 12, reinforce the relatively thin, fiat body in such a manner as to impart considerable strength and rigidity to the body, the ribs being additionally arranged in such a manner as to reinforce one another due to their disposition in intersecting relation, and their integral connection at the lower ends of the transverse ribs.

Formed in the back surface 29 of each rib, at the upper end of the rib, is a relatively shallow recess 26, said recess opening upon the upper end surface 22 of the rib, and having its side walls spaced inwardly from the respective side surfaces 24 of the rib.

At its lower end, each rib 14 is partially cut away as at 28 to form an angular lower recess, the inner Wall of which is flush with the outer longitudinal edge of the bottom rib 12.

Secured to each rib 14 is a clamp 36 said clamp being formed from a length of flat, relatively springable material, and being so arranged upon its associated rib as to have a depending free end projecting downwardly beyond the recess 23.

Obviously, if the clamp 30 is formed of a metal material, said material should be non-corrosive. In this connection, the choice of materials for the clamp 30 would depend to a great extent upon the material chosen for formation of the body 10 and its associated ribs 12, 14 respectively. Thus, if the panel is to be made of an asbestos material, then I believe a clamp 30 of plastic would be entirely suitable.

In the upper end portion of each rib 14, adjacent the upper recess 26 thereof, a nail hole 32 is formed, said nail hole being formed in the rib during the initial construction of the panel.

At 34, I have generally designated a portion of a building wall, the illustrated wall being one to which wood sheathing has been applied. The siding is, of course, applicable to other types of sheathing.

As a first step, a base member 36 is applied to the wall 34, at that location upon the wall surface at which the lowest siding course is to be put up. The member 36 is merely a conventional piece of lumber, suitably milled so as to provide at locations spaced longitudinally thereof, rearwardly projecting spacer blocks 38.

After the member or members 36 have been applied to the building wall 34, the lowest course of siding is mounted upon said wall, each panel of said course having its bottom rib 12 in engagement with the lower longitudinal edge of the base member 36 (Figure 4). The clamps 30 of the several panels of the lowermost course are engaged with the base member 36, the free ends of said clamps extending into the spaces between the several projections or spacer blocks 38.

After the several panels of the lowermost course have been positioned as illustrated in Figure 4, nails 40 are driven through the openings 32, to secure the upper edge portions of the several panels to the wall 34.

As a next step, another course is put up, the panels of the new course having their bottom ribs 12 in engagement with the outer surfaces of the bodies 10 of the lowest course, at locations spaced a short distance below the upper ends of said bodies. As will be noted from Figure 4, this operation is effected to conceal the several nails 40. The clamps 30 of the new course have their free ends extended into the upper recesses 26 of the first course, this being effective to automatically position the panels of the new course in exact alignment with the panels of the first course.

Again, nails 40 are driven through the nail holes or openings 32 of the panels of the new course, and the operation is repeated until the entire wall 34 is covered.

It is important to note, in this regard, that the relative arrangement of the panels or siding pieces of the several cornersis such as to cause a continuous, blanket-type, air space to be defined between the exterior siding and the wall 34. This air space results because the appreciably thickened upper ends 22 of the vertical ribs 14 are effective to space the upper edges of the several panels a short distance from the building wall. Thus, the air space behind each panel is in communication with the air space of the panel immediately above the same. Additionally, the air space of each panel isin communication with the air spaces of the panels on either side thereof, due to the fact that the back surfaces 20 of the several vertical ribs 14 lie in planes inclined from the vertical when the siding is applied to a previously applied, lower siding, and therefore are spaced from the adjacent surface of the building wall 34.

At the same time, a weather-tight construction is provided, since the ribs 12. of the several panels are disposed in tight engagement with the outer surfaces of the panels of the next lower course.

It will be understood that the base member 36 can be so milled as to close off communication between the outer atmosphere and the spaces between the projections 38, thus to close off the above mentioned air space com pletely at the lower edge of the covering of siding.

The formation and relative arrangement of the several siding pieces, whereby said pieces cooperate to form a continuous air space between the siding and the wall, is of considerable importance, in that the air space has a decided insulating value.

It is also believed to be an important characteristic of the siding formed in accordance with the present invention, that the construction of each individual piece permits said piece to be pivoted upon the piece next below the same, to compensate for irregularities in the Wall surface 34. This characteristic is especially valuable in covering old structures. In this connection, it is to be noted that the upper piece can be pivoted, along the outer longitudinal edge of its bottom rib 12, upon the surface of the lower piece, to allow for this compensation in building wall irregularity. 7

It is also considered to be an important characteristic of the invention that the siding is so formed as to provide a shadow line extending along the bottom of each course, thus to impart to the complete covering the appearance of conventional clapboard, and thereby improve considerably the appearance of the structure to which the siding is applied. The faithfulness of the simulation is further enhanced by reason of the fact that the several nails 40 are completely covered, so that unsightly nailheads do not appear in the covering after the operation is completed.

It is also considered to be of importance that the siding can be erected with maximum speed and facility, thus to reduce labor costs measurably. The siding, in fact, is so designed as to permit its erection by one who is completely unskilled in building construction, this characteristic of the siding obtaining by reason of the construc tion wherein the several siding pieces are automatically aligned with one another, and interlocked for application of the nails 40 thereto. l

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In an exterior siding for buildings, a thin, flat, elongated body of rectangular outer configuration adapted to extend horizontally in overlying relation to the vertical wall surface of a building, said body lying in a plane inclined slightly from the vertical; a plurality of transverse ribs formed upon one surface of the body and extending fully from the top to the bottom edge thereof, said ribs extending normally to the length of the body and being spaced substantial distances apart with each of the ribs being relatively narrow as compared to the width of the spaces defined therebetween, the ribs being of such thickness at their upper ends as to space the top edge of said body away from said surface of the building, whereby said spaces defined between the ribs open upwardly to communicate with the spaces defined between the ribs of a like siding disposed immedately thereabove, each rib being formed, at its upper end, with a relatively shallow recess and being formed, at its lower end, with an angular recess adapted to receive the top edge portion of a like siding immediately therebolow; an elongated, longitudinally extending bottom rib formed upon said surface of the body and intersecting with the lower ends of said transverse ribs, said bottom rib being of a thickness corresponding to the thicknesses of the recessed, lower ends of the first-named ribs, the first named ribs having those surfaces thereof that are faced away from the body extending within a common plane inclined slightly from the vertical, so as to be spaced away from said wall surface of the building, thereby to bring the several spaces of each body in communication with one another, thus to form a continuous blanket air space between the wall surface of said building and the siding applied thereto; and tongue elements secured to said surfaces of the ribs at the lower ends of the ribs, the tongue elements having free end portions projecting downwardly into the recesses of the lower ends of the ribs, to engage in the recesses of the upper ends of the first-named ribs of a like piece of siding disposed immediately therebelow.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,404,483 Scharwath et al Jan. 24, 1922 1,487,155 Fink Mar. 18, 1924 1,986,739 Mitte Jan. 1, 1935 2,361,831 Ellis Oct. 31, 1944 2,636,226 Holland Apr. 28, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 73,980 Switzerland 1916 

